All You Need to Know About the Highly Advanced Roofs at the Australian Open 2024 Show Courts

The Australian Open 2024 is right around the corner. The first grand slam of the year is close to fulfilling the wish of every tennis fan for more top-level action. It takes place in Melbourne Park, which houses three multipurpose arenas. Their main function is tennis, and all the courts are built to accommodate the best of the best.

The weather in Australia in January has given players heatstrokes, which is why they have been developed to ensure no health scare takes place again.

What makes the Australian Open court different?

An event as glorious as the Australian Open would require an arena that matches its glory. The tournament is played in the Melbourne Park, located next to the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It consists of mainly three arenas: the Rod Laver Arena, the Margaret Court Arena, and the John Cairn Arena. The three courts are more than enough to accommodate a plethora of tennis fans.

Last year, the three courts helped 902,000 fans find a seat for the action in the arena. The Rod Laver Arena is the second largest indoor court in Australia, followed by the Qudos Bank Arena. The John Cairn Arena, often dubbed as ‘The People’s Court’, is the second largest arena in Melbourne Park. Margaret Court Arena was redeveloped in 2010 to feature a retractable roof and increased seating capacity.  

Dive deep into the Australian Open show courts

The Rod Laver Arena was created in 1987 to replace the Kooyong Stadium. It was the first arena in Australia with a retractable roof and a seating capacity of 14,820 for tennis. It was first named the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park in 1988, Centre Court in 1996, and then the Rod Laver Arena in 2000 to honor the Australian legend. 

The John Cairn Arena was opened in 2000, and its name was changed in 2020 to honor Australian politician John Cairn Jr., regarded as the critical figure in keeping the Australian Open in Melbourne. The capacity for tennis in the stadium is 10,500, and it also has a retractable roof system. It will house only day session matches this year till 22nd January.

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The Margaret Court Arena is the third arena in Melbourne Park. It was built in 1987 and renovated in the mid-2010s. It was originally named Show Court One and was renamed after the controversial tennis legend in early 2003. Like the other two arenas, it is also a multipurpose venue and has a retractable roof.  

Margaret Court Arena’s Retractable Roof to shine in the Australian Open

Initially viewed as an expensive expenditure, the retractable roof at the Australian Open has saved the organizers countless times. The mechanism was put in place to avoid delays caused by heat and rain. In 2020, the retractable roof system was deployed extensively. At the time, the air in Australia was growing hazardous as a result of the country’s disastrous bushfires, which had harmed the environment.

It takes 20 minutes on average for the retractable roof to be set in place. The Margaret Court Arena is the latest one to have a retractable roof, and it came into effect in 2015. The Australian Open is the only grand slam to have retractable roofs across all of its arenas, making it a must-visit event for tennis fans at least once in their lives. 

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